Network Player Reviews

Inputs and outputs. In hi-fi, it's interesting to note that with a device like the Bricasti M5, people wonder which of its outputs is "best". That's like asking, "What's the best screwdriver—flathead or phillips?"

A difficult task has been presented to me; sonic comparison of the Sonore Signature Rendu SE with the SOtM Triple Set that is composed of the sMS-200ultra, the tx-USBultra, and the sPS-500 power supply. It’s a difficult mission because these products have been previously reviewed here at AudioStream and all were found to be first-rate products. Michael Lavorgna did an excellent job reviewing the Sonore Signature Rendu SE and found it to be a "pure pleasure" to listen to. Likewise, I was very impressed with the performance of the SOtM sMS-200ultra, tx-USBultra, and the sPS-500 with silver Y DC cable in my reviews. It just so happens that I own both the Sonore Signature Rendu SE and SOtM Triple Set and have a burning desire to know which setup will sound best in my system. Will it be the Sonore Signature Rendu SE or the SOtM Triad that will bring me closer to the music, and ultimately, long term musical satisfaction?

The sMS-200ultra Mini Network Player
The Korean audio manufacturer SOtM (Soul of the Music™) has added a new mini network player to their stable of audio devices called the sMS-200ultra. Now some of you are going to ask just how the sMS-200ultra differs from the sMS-200 that I recently reviewed here at AudioStream...

The guys at Sonore and Small Green Computer recently released a software upgrade to their SonicOrbitor OS, version 2.5, which is delivered via hardware, a microSD card. The cost is $20 including shipping (or should that read—mailing?) and performing the upgrade takes all of minutes. The result? A better microRendu.

SOtM has developed an ARM board for the sMS-200 and their own Linux software called Eunhasu, which means Milky Way in Korean. The sMS-200 has an attractive case with all connections made at the rear of the device. The soft footers add stability to the small sMS-200. There are two LED indicators on the front panel that indicate power and network activity. The rear panel has the Ethernet input, audio-grade USB 2.0 output, 2 USB 2.0 inputs for external USB storage devices, a reset button, a microSD card, and the DC power input. I also noticed at the Ethernet input LEDs that indicate network activity.

The Nimitra Computer Audio Server is the design of Keetakawee Punpeng, the creator of Fidelizer. I have previously written about Fidelizer Pro, software that optimizes the Windows operating system for use with music software. Keetakawee, who hails from Thailand, decided to combine his software talents and computer hardware knowledge to create a reference audiophile music server. He also wanted a server that would not only be better sounding than an off-the-shelf computer, but a device that would be effortless in terms of setup and use. The Nimitra was conceived as a plug and play device that would take the frustration out of the use of a computer for audio and let users concentrate on their enjoyment of music.

All-In-One With A Twist
The ELAC Discovery is a one-box solution for people looking to turn their digital music collection, streamed and stored, into analog while using Roon to control playback. The Discovery handles gapless playback and PCM resolutions up to 24-bit/192kHz (WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, OGG, MP3, AAC) while offering two analog outputs + WiFi for multiroom(s) audio. Here's the twist: Discovery runs on Roon Essentials, which negates the need for a separate device running Roon Server/Core, and Roon Essentials is included in the Discovery's price.

While USB DACs have been widely embraced by computer audiophiles for their ease of use and excellent sound, there has been a price to pay for the benefits associated with connecting one’s computer to these DACs. Noise, part and parcel of any all-purpose computer, is the enemy of music reproduction. The computer noise transmitted from the USB cable to the DAC steals from the user the ultimate sonic potential he could be enjoying.

Wow
I like simple. I appreciate uncomplicated. Yet I write about computer audio. I also listen to music every day for most of the day so I'm very much interested in the quality of that experience. I've been waiting years for these things to come together and they finally have.

Music-In-The-Box
You can serve to it, stream to it, and play to it via WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Toslink, or 3.5mm analog input. Armed with an ARM CORTEX A9 processor, 2x 50mm (2") speakers and an 89mm (3.5") woofer tri-amped with 60W of digital power, the Bluesound Pulse Mini pumps out a claimed 45Hz - 20kHz of not so mini music. Control playback from your iOS, Android, or Kindle device running the free BluOS control app or via the top-mounted touch controls and you have a world of music-in-the-box.

The New Node 2
The new Bluesound Node 2 looks a helluva lot better than the original Node, at least to my eyes. It's new beauty is not only skin deep as its processor has been upgraded to a 1 GHz ARM CORTEX A9 Multi-core processor, the DAC is now the BurrBrown PCM5122, and the company has also added more connectivity options, integrated Bluetooth, a headphone amp, and improved WiFi performance. Bluesound has also been been working on improving their BluOS app for iOS and Android devices so we're looking at and listening all new Blue Sound.

Fit For Audiophiles?
I've seen this question posed and discussed about any number of things including the Auralic Aries Mini and I always think; this is what's wrong with some of the thinking in our hobby.

Rendu
Streaming your NAS-based music from storage to speakers requires a device that sits in between. The requirements for this device are twofold; it needs to recognize your network attached storage (NAS) and make it available to another device, typically iOS or Android, which acts as your remote control for playback. In UPnP parlance, which I find as clear and easy to remember as Latin, and I never studied Latin, we're talking about a renderer and a control point. The Sonore Signature Series Rendu is, as its name suggests, a renderer whose job it is to serve up your network attached music. It'll also stream from Tidal as you'll learn about below.